Getting between Kitsap and Jefferson counties on Washington S.R. 104 is going to become a chore when the Hood Canal Bridge closes for up to six weeks beginning May 1.

The bridge is closing while crews undertake the replacement of the deteriorating east half -- part a 13-year, $499.8 million project to upgrade the bridge. The rink links the Seattle area, via the Edmonds-Kingston ferry, to Port Angeles and the Olympic Peninsula.

Rangers in the Olympic National Forest's Hood Canal Ranger District are readying themselves for the closure, and trying to let people know they could experience delays with the increased traffic.